Acceleration
The ability to get up to speed fast off the first few steps, so you separate from defenders and win the race to the ball.
Speed and Agility Training in Columbus, Ohio
Get faster
Built for motivated youth and high school athletes, in any sport, who want to get faster, quicker, and more explosive. Our strength and conditioning staff coach acceleration, top speed, and change of direction using the same sports science we use with college and professional athletes, then measure it so you can see the difference.
“It has helped take my strength, speed, and overall athletic performance to the next level.” Zack Weber, Bishop Watterson state champion now playing college football
80+ five-star reviews · Trusted by Columbus families since 2004
What it develops
Faster, quicker, more explosive.
Speed and agility training targets the athletic qualities that show up in every sport. We break speed down into its parts, coach each one deliberately, and put them back together so they carry over to the way you actually play.
Top-end speed
Your maximum sprinting speed once you are up and running, developed through sound mechanics and repeatable power.
Change of direction
Cutting, planting, and redirecting under control, so you can change course sharply without losing balance or momentum.
First-step quickness
The explosive first move that beats an opponent to a spot, whether you are driving, closing out, or reacting to a play.
Deceleration
Slowing down and stopping under control, one of the most overlooked and most protective qualities an athlete can build.
Explosive power
Vertical and horizontal power that shows up in your jump, your first step, and every explosive movement in your sport.
How we coach it
Measured, not guessed.
We do not just tell athletes to run faster. Our strength and conditioning staff measure where you are, coach the movements that matter, and re-test over time, so progress shows up in the data instead of in a feeling.
- Timing gates and sprint testing. We time your acceleration and top speed so we can see exactly where you are getting faster.
- Force plates. We measure how you produce and absorb force, which tells us how to build your power and your ability to decelerate safely.
- Jump testing. We test vertical and explosive power and track it over time, so your development is objective, not a guess.
- Coached by our strength and conditioning staff. Every session is led by the same staff who train our college and professional athletes.
- Built on real sports science. The programming is built on the same sports science used with college and pro athletes, scaled to your age and sport.
Video
Hear it from them.
An ARMORY parent
Strength and conditioning
“I can’t say enough good things about Jay. My son really looks up to him, and Jay gets the best out of him. He’s flexible, too — this past weekend he rearranged things to work my son in on a Sunday morning. You guys have built something great.”
From our athletes
What they say.
“THE ARMORY has been an invaluable partner to the Upper Arlington Girls Basketball program. Their staff has done an amazing job collaborating with our coaches to ensure our training plan is athlete centric. Our collective values are very much aligned and I trust the expertise of their team to help take our performance to the next level.”
Coach John Wanke · Head coach, Upper Arlington girls varsity basketball
An Ohio Capital Conference Coach of the Year, Coach Wanke has led the Golden Bears since 2021. Our staff runs supplemental strength and conditioning for his varsity program, built around the training his coaches already have in place.
“The strength and conditioning program at THE ARMORY is a game-changer for competitive athletes. My son, Adam, is a dedicated high school athlete who has always been committed to reaching his fitness goals. However, it wasn't until he began training with Coach Jay and THE ARMORY Strength & Conditioning team that he truly started to unlock his full potential. The coaching, structure, and attention to detail are second to none. Every workout is purpose-driven, and athletes are taught not only how to train harder but how to train smarter to maximize their performance. Coach Jay and his staff bring proven training methods and coaching techniques developed at the Division I collegiate level — an experience that is rarely available to high school and youth athletes. Whether your athlete is just beginning their athletic journey or preparing to compete at the collegiate level and beyond, I wholeheartedly recommend THE ARMORY Strength & Conditioning program. The investment in their training will pay dividends in performance, confidence, and long-term athletic development.”
Brandon Fitt · Parent of Adam Fitt, Port Clinton High School punter and kicker
“My name is Zack Weber, and I've been training at THE ARMORY since the day it opened. Not long after, I joined the Strength and Conditioning program as an athlete. I can confidently say that Jay Hooten and the entire staff at THE ARMORY have played a major role in my athletic development and were instrumental in helping me earn the opportunity to play college football. The Strength and Conditioning program has pushed me to become the best athlete I can be. It has helped take my strength, speed, and overall athletic performance to the next level while teaching me the discipline and work ethic needed to compete at a higher level. I wouldn't be where I am today without the support, coaching, and environment that THE ARMORY has provided.”
Zack Weber · Bishop Watterson state champion, now playing football at the University of Charleston
“Awesome experience, with detailed coaches and a great environment.”
Cade Stover · Ohio State tight end · Big Ten Tight End of the Year · NFL, Houston Texans
How it fits
It is our strength and conditioning.
Speed and agility is not a separate program, a package, or an add-on. At THE ARMORY it is our strength and conditioning, the same program with the same coaches. You cannot train one without the other.
When an athlete trains strength and conditioning here, they are training speed and agility. It is baked in, not bolted on. The acceleration, change of direction, and explosive power are coached in the same sessions, by the same staff, measured with the same sports science. There is no separate speed and agility class to sign up for, because it is already how we train.
Because we measure each athlete individually, the work is built around you. Two athletes in the same sport rarely need the same thing, and that is the point. Strength, speed, and power are one program, so the time you put into training carries straight over to the way you play.
Who it is for
Grades 4 to 12, every sport.
This is for motivated athletes, roughly grades 4 through 12, across every sport, who want to get faster and more explosive. Acceleration, change of direction, and power carry over to basketball, football, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, track, and beyond. You do not need to be an elite athlete to start. You need to want to improve.
Memberships
Train consistently. Get faster.
Speed and agility is our strength and conditioning, so it is the same membership, coached by the same staff. Choose the volume that fits your season and switch tiers anytime. Every membership includes sports science testing, coach-led recovery, and our full recovery suite, and your unused sessions roll over while your membership stays active.
In-season
Best in season
$179/mo
- 4 coached strength and conditioning sessions a month
- Unused sessions roll over month to month
- Sports science testing and re-testing included
- Coach-led recovery included
- Full recovery suite included
- Member pricing on physical therapy
Most popular
8 a month
Best value for the offseason
$299/mo
- 8 coached strength and conditioning sessions a month
- Unused sessions roll over month to month
- Sports science testing and re-testing included
- Coach-led recovery included
- Full recovery suite included
- Member pricing on physical therapy
12 a month
For serious development
$399/mo
- 12 coached strength and conditioning sessions a month
- Unused sessions roll over month to month
- Sports science testing and re-testing included
- Coach-led recovery included
- Full recovery suite included
- Member pricing on physical therapy
Unlimited
Train as often as you like
$489/mo
- Unlimited coached strength and conditioning sessions
- Unused sessions roll over month to month
- Sports science testing and re-testing included
- Coach-led recovery included
- Full recovery suite included
- Member pricing on physical therapy
Memberships are month to month with no minimum and no initiation fee. Cancel anytime, and switch tiers whenever your season changes, for example, a lighter plan in-season and more sessions in the offseason. Unused sessions roll over for the life of your membership while it stays active, and are forfeited immediately if you cancel.
This is the same program as our athlete strength and conditioning. Playing basketball? Explore basketball training and the ARMORY Basketball Club. Working back from an injury? Our physical therapy team helps athletes return to full speed.
Get started
How you get rolling.
Getting started is simple. Reach out to a coach or fill out our intake form, and our strength and conditioning staff will take it from there.
01
Reach out to a coach
Tell us your sport, your grade, and what you want to get better at. Email Coach Hooten directly at hoot@wearethearmory.com, or fill out our quick intake form, whichever is easier for you.
02
Choose your membership
If it is a fit, pick the plan that matches your season and enroll. Once you are in, our staff runs sports science testing, usually including sprint and jump testing. Testing and periodic re-testing are included in every membership, so we can see where you are today and show the progress later.
03
Start training
Step into coached sessions built around your results, then re-test over time so you can see your speed, quickness, and power improve in the data.
Schedule
Book your sessions.
Speed and agility is our strength and conditioning, so these are the same sessions on the same weekly schedule. Athletes reserve their sessions in advance so every athlete gets the coaching they need. Find a session below and book your spot. Booking is for existing athletes only.
Before you book
- Existing athletes only. New to the program? Please do not just drop in. Start with our get started form or email a coach so we can run your evaluation and sports science testing first. Training you safely and effectively starts with knowing where you are, and dropping into a session cold is an injury risk we will not take.
- Need to cancel? Let us know at least 12 hours in advance, in the ARMORY app or by emailing your coach, or the session is forfeited.
The staff
Who coaches it.
Jay Hooten
Director of Sports Performance · Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Before Northwestern, Coach Hooten coached at Ohio State as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He then spent 12 years as Director of Football Performance at Northwestern University, a Big Ten program, where he helped develop 30 NFL Draft picks and win two Big Ten West titles. He is also one of the most trusted voices in the region on return to play, guiding injured athletes back to full performance and bringing in our physical therapy team when it is needed.
Jace Middleton
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Jace Middleton is an assistant strength and conditioning coach at THE ARMORY. He also serves as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the St. Francis DeSales High School football program. A two-sport athlete at Ohio State, he joined the Buckeyes as a baseball signee and pitched as a right-hander before earning a preferred walk-on spot with the football team as a tight end. Middleton was a standout at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, where he earned All-OCC honors as a senior playing wide receiver, linebacker, and safety, and threw the winning touchdown pass in a playoff victory over Dublin Coffman. He was also a top-ranked baseball prospect in the state, committing to Ohio State early in his high school career. Athletes gravitate to Jace. He coaches with high energy and a genuine belief in the people in front of him, and he has a gift for motivating and encouraging athletes through the hard days. Because he so recently competed at the highest levels of college sports himself, he mentors from real experience, meeting young athletes exactly where they are. He is sharp, relentlessly hard-working, and deeply invested in each athlete's success.
Talk to a coach
See if this is right for your athlete.
Tell us about your athlete and a coach will reach out to talk it through, by phone or in person. Just a straight answer on whether this is the right fit.
Questions
Good to know.
It is for motivated youth and high school athletes, roughly grades 4 to 12, in every sport who want to get faster, quicker, and more explosive. You do not need to be an elite athlete to start. You need to want to improve.
It develops acceleration, top-end speed, change of direction, first-step quickness, deceleration, and vertical and explosive power, the athletic qualities that translate across sports.
Our strength and conditioning staff use timing gates and sprint testing, force plates, and jump testing to measure where an athlete is, coach the movements that matter, and re-test over time so improvement shows up in the data.
No, they are the same thing. Speed and agility is not a separate program, a package, or an add-on, it is our strength and conditioning, coached by the same staff in the same sessions. You cannot do one without the other. Every strength and conditioning session builds speed, quickness, and power, because that is how we coach it.
It is built on the same sports science our staff uses with college and professional athletes, scaled to each athlete's age, sport, and stage of development.
Every sport. Acceleration, change of direction, and explosive power carry over to basketball, football, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, track, and beyond.
Reach out to one of our coaches at hoot@wearethearmory.com, or fill out our intake form, and our strength and conditioning staff will follow up to talk it through with you.
Get faster. Start now.
Reach out to one of our coaches or send us your details, and our strength and conditioning staff will talk it through with you.
Coach Hooten: hoot@wearethearmory.com